float 1 of 2

verb

Definition of floatnext
1
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a canoe floating down the river particles of dust floating in the air

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wander
to move about from place to place aimlessly lost touch with a childhood friend who spent much of his adult life floating from place to place

Synonyms & Similar Words

float

2 of 2

noun

ˈflōt How to pronounce float (audio)
as in dock
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers the crew put the cargo on the float before heading back down the river

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of float
Verb
The dance party started as a hundred mylar balloons floated down from the choir loft and a kaleidoscopic video of flowers was projected onto the dance floor. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026 Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and slogans float uneasily near one another in different colors, fonts, and sizes. — Alec Mapes-Frances, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
Noun
In addition to afternoon tea, there are New York diner classics and signature cocktails, including the lox bagel, classic hot dog, pastrami club sandwich, warm cookies and ice cream, New York cheesecake and a Coke float. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026 At the moment, the good detective is strutting around the float, kicking the wheels and pounding the floorboards. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
  1. hover
  2. wander
  3. dock
  4. sail
  5. roam
  6. wharf
  7. swim
  8. drift
Verb
  • With a police helicopter hovering overhead, police started using tear gas and a water cannon in an effort to move the protesters back.
    — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Daytime temperatures hovered in the upper 40s to low 50s this week in Halifax, with overnight lows in the 30s, according to weather reports.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of hover
Verb
  • Its presence adds another reason to wander in, whether a visitor arrives with a collector’s eye or simple curiosity.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • During a quick shift, skaters have far less time for their minds to wander.
    — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of wander
Noun
  • The board of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources was considering whether to adopt regulations allowing private docks to extend to 1,500 feet in length — about the length of five football fields.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • According to a compilation of both ports’ daily rail reports from The Dwell, 34,592 import containers were awaiting on-dock rail service on Tuesday.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of dock
Verb
  • Passengers who were set to sail on the cruise will receive a full refund and will be assisted in getting back home, according to MSC.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The ship, which had been scheduled to sail for Haifa in Israel with 940 passengers and 597 crew on board, was being evacuated as a precaution, the coast guard added.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of sail
Verb
  • The pack of dogs had been roaming onto an oil field in Oxnard, traipsing onto private property and walking perilously close to vehicular traffic.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Biologists know the lands on which panthers prefer to roam, and there’s been proven success when that land is conserved and connected.
    — Max Chesnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of roam
Noun
  • Newer signs taped to windows hope to stop the local wharf from becoming a corporate grain terminal.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Their transatlantic journey is slated to begin in Portsmouth, but once there Håkan loses sight of his brother in the crowds along the wharf.
    — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of wharf
Verb
  • But hey, the dating pool isn’t the easiest place to swim these days, so live and let live.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Then, the shark made a sharp U-Turn and splashed the surfer with its tail before swimming away.
    — Stephanie Zappelli, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of swim
Verb
  • The companies running their most important workloads on a single-vendor stack are running them on last Tuesday’s model, hoping the price does not move and the capability does not drift.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Most of those are in the Atlanta suburbs — territory that has drifted decisively toward Democrats over the last decade.
    — David Wickert, AJC.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of drift

Browse Nearby Words

flivvers
float
floated
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Cite this Entry

“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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